Today, right now, by the power vested in technology via this mysterious box I write to you from, you may see the formulation of a collaborative effort by two people living a few thousand miles apart, who have never met in person. Amanda Hesser has long been a heroine of mine. To have had the opportunity to talk about food and recipe testing and the crazy minutiae that I get off on when it comes to flavor and texture and the alchemy of baking, makes me tingly all over.

If you're not able to buy the Sunday NY Times in paper form, here you go. From the Magazine ~

Comments

I too am in thrall with Amanda Hesser. A friend of mine once took me to a seminar at The French Culinary Institute because AH was on the panel. This was in the days of still dating Mr. Latte, Tad Friend, and Amanda Hesser was actually wearing the two barrets!

Great article, especially since there are so many interesting - and flattering - comments about you. As my Australian friend Mandi says, good one. Congratulations.

Amanda Hesser is one of my food heroines, too. She's an amazing storyteller, and Cooking for Mr. Latte is a book I pick up again and again, because it makes me smile. Congratulations on your collaboration. May it be the first of many.

Just now getting to today's paper and turned to my favorite section in the whole paper (the Mag) and my favorite column (Amanda's) -- and ohmygoodgracious, there you are, Shuna, in all your glory. I loved that you just never got to the flummery, very funny and so very Shuna, cutting her own path, all the time.

Wow! I Just stumbled over to Extracto Coffehouse for a little break and du café. I had nothing to read - so I mooched the NY Times Magazine from the couple sitting next to me, opened it up and dang if your piece wasn't the very first thing I saw! Nice one, my friend.

Heading to Portland anytime soon? The plums and berries will soon be falling all over the sidewalk, waiting to be rescued and promptly baked up into something doughy and delicious. I just made a lovely (if I do say so myself) buckwheat blueberry bundt cake, which is cooling in the kitchen at this very moment.
Mazel Tov on the article!

Brava Shuna! You are so right when you say that ricotta will explode in the oven. Today I baked a Sardinian saffron ricotta cake and there it was, a small crater in the middle.
By the way, do you know where I can find labne in San Francisco?

ciao!

Arrigo! So nice to hear from you!I don't know where to get Lebne in SF but I would ask first at the Greek Import store on Mission between 19th-20th streets. My favorite brand is BYBLOS and they call it LEBNI on the package. The container is blue and white.If you ever make it to the East Bay there are 2 places that have it-- one company, 2 locations: Country Cheese. One is on San Pablo a few blocks south of University, the other is near Monterey Market on Hopkins street. They have no website but they're out of sight! ~ Shuna

I want to add my bravo to the mountain of congratulatory comments you've already deservedly received. First, I must say (and please don't think less of me, People), I almost never read the NY Times. And second, I had just two days prior made a new-to-me recipe for a goat cheese cheesecake. Is this a sign I might need to (or rather, might dare to) add your Labne & Ricotta Cheesecake to my "must bake" list? But back to you . . . Kudos!!!